More than eight out of 10 South Koreans think the government needs to increase manpower in charge of coping with disasters and public security, a poll showed Monday.

According to the nationwide survey of 1,000 citizens aged 19 and older, 200 experts and 200 civil servants, 81 percent said the government needs to beef up its manpower in the fields of firefighting and disaster management, followed by 73 percent in the field of public safety and security and 65 percent in the welfare arena.